Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockville, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,247 in Rockville, MD, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Rockville, MD
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Rockville, MD Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,247

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rockville, MD and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rockville, MD and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,247 in Rockville, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Rockville, MD $3,247
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,701 in Rockville, MD versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Rockville, MD $4,701
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,154 in Rockville, MD versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Rockville, MD $6,154
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Rockville, MD is roughly 25% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rockville, MD 139% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 $22.62

$20.35 $20.35

11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$84.7 $84.7

-11.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$12.12 $12.12

-15.92%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$5.65 $5.65

-6.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.68 $3.68

-34.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.36 $2.36

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$7.87 $7.87

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 $7.47

$8.82 $8.82

-15.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.14 $1.14

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.69 $3.69

-19.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.31 $3.31

-19.64%

Eggs

$3.81 $3.81

$4.15 $4.15

-8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$12.98 $12.98

-24.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$13.86 $13.86

-32.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$16.34 $16.34

11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.69 $4.69

1.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.45 $1.45

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.11 $5.11

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.52 $4.52

-14.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.08 $3.08

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.38 $2.38

3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.80 $1.80

43.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.22 $2.22

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 $14.00

$9.97 $9.97

40.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 $14.48

$15.05 $15.05

-3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.91 $2.91

-17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.33 $3.33

12.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.22 $1.22

159.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$40.53 $40.53

171.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.78 $2.78

81.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.65 $1.65

-32.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.29 $23.29

$35.39 $35.39

-34.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.95 $0.95

12.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K $34.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

0.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$297 $297

$223 $223

33.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$58.5 $58.5

-13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$71.2 $71.2

-14.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.82 $42.82

$53.0 $53.0

-19.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 $12.46

$16.75 $16.75

-25.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.64 $16.64

$14.06 $14.06

18.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$1,459 $1,459

32.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K $27.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

29.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.01 $46.01

$52.5 $52.5

-12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.71 $39.71

$42.75 $42.75

-7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$86.4 $86.4

2.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$104 $104

27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 $2,213

$2,112 $2,112

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,230 $1,230

45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$3,863 $3,863

-2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$2,407 $2,407

27.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 $4,172

$7,426 $7,426

-43.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,976 $2,976

$3,060 $3,060

-2.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,378 $6,378

$5,179 $5,179

23.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.82

-5.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rockville, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rockville, MD

$1.8K 55.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 31.3% $561

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockville, MD

$409 12.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 13.7% $56

Groceries & Markets

Rockville, MD

$359 11.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 14.1% $51

Eating Out

Rockville, MD

$340 10.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 2.4% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rockville, MD

$138 4.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 7% $9.6

Getting Around

Rockville, MD

$133 4.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 57.7% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Rockville, MD

$76 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 6.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,213 in Rockville, MD and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockville, MD pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75 in Rockville, MD vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $410 per month, with Rockville, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

1 h behind Rockville, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,139

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rockville, MD Austin, TX 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rockville, MD
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rockville, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Rockville, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Rockville, MD, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,213 in Rockville, MD versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,247 per month in Rockville, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 63% less than in Rockville, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Austin, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rockville, MD, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Rockville, MD on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.